Takemikazuchi

CRASH!

As I'm reciting my final words in my head I hear a loud crash followed by an agonizing, monstrous scream.

I turn around, expecting to see my heroic saviour clad in golden armour and wearing a confident and comforting smile...

To my surprise I see... Another monster!

Seriously! What is my luck!?

"Why are they fighting each other? Do I smell that good that it's worth fighting over who gets to eat me?"

I was so confused that I almost forgot I was about to die. But I snapped back to reality and attempted to escape amidst the chaos.

Exhausted. Frightened. Desperate.

I found myself running from the monster once again, still not recovered from the last attempt of escape, I felt like there was no hope of seeing tomorrow.

But as I was running along the road I noticed that I could only hear the sounds of my body fighting for breath. No monstrous footsteps.

I looked behind me whilst I continued to run to see if I was finally safe...

BONK!

My eyes slowly opened, my gaze fixated on the floor, when I come to my senses I noticed my dirty, worn-out shoes, and opposite them: another pair of shoes.

I quickly come to the realisation that I've probably been kidnapped and look up whilst shouting:

"Let me g-! T-Takeru!?"

Takeru, with his arm resting on the back of his chair, scowls at me before taking his time to reply to me.

"Relax, Relax. Why are you getting so worked up? You're not even tied up, I only knocked you out. Sheesh. Way to overreact you idiot."

Takeru is my classmate. Though I’ve rarely spoken to him. He’s just this mysterious, quiet kid who sits at the back and immediately disappears at the end of class. He has scraggy medium length silver hair with blue eyes, piercings and even a tattoo on his right arm. Just your typical delinquent. That’s what I thought before today at least.

And even though the guy never speaks, he still has half the girls in my class obsessed with him. Tch. Lucky bastard.

Anyway, I took a second to calm down. I realised that he was right and I did overreact. After all, I'm pretty sure he saved me, as much as it pains me to say. 

I guess I'm still freaked out from being chased by a couple of man-eating monsters.

“You’re quite the celebrity, aren’t you?” Takeru says as he laughs.

“Two soulless arrive at this world and immediately chase you.”

Takeru continues to laugh and then suddenly comes to a halt and leans forward close to Hayate’s face.

“Why were they chasing you?” Takeru says in a much more deep and serious tone.

“I- I don’t know, I don’t even know what they are. What is going on? Soulless? What?”

“Hmm, I thought as much.”

“I believe you; I mean if you had any idea what they are you probably wouldn’t have cried like that.” 

"I didn’t realise you were such a child. ” Takeru scoffs.

"I was literally about to be eaten alive by a bunch of monsters that look like they're straight out of a horror film! What do you expect me to do!? You idiot, just because I'm not some psychopath like you." I yelled whilst making a poor attempt to conceal my embarrassment.

Takeru continues to mock me with his irritating laugh.

“In all seriousness though, it's that necklace you have on.”

“My My Necklace?” I wondered as I glanced down at my necklace.

“I have no idea what it is, but I’ve had my eye on you for a while because of it. It has a mana presence. And that’s what they were chasing. It's like putting a huge target on your back especially since there isn’t much mana in this world. Makes you easy to find.”

“Mana? It’s just an ordinary necklace, I’ve had it all my life.”

“Where did you get it?”

“It was my fathers…He gave it to me before he left 10 years ago.”

“is that so?” Takeru mutters.

“Give it to me.”

“NO, you’re not having my necklace.” I exclaimed as I gripped my necklace

“You’ll die if you continue to wear it, you cant even leave it at home since it'll make your family a target. Everyone is safer if you give it to me.”

I began to get worked up once again, this time in anger, not fear. The thought of Takeru trying to take away the only thing I have left of my father infuriated me. I mean he already has everything!

“It’s the only thing I have left of my father… Besides! How can you defend yourself from those things, they’re monsters!”

Takeru stood up, his face started to scrunch up from anger. It was obvious he was getting annoyed at me too.

“They’re called soulless... And how do you think you’re even still alive? You think they just gave up?!"

“I ran away whilst they were distracted by each other. And then you knocked me out after I escaped!”

He smirked a little, then after taking a second to calm down, he sits down.

“Hmm, okay, suit yourself. Ain’t my problem if your dumb ass dies.” He says, this time with a more nonchalant tone.

"I guess if I've not been kidnapped, I'm free to leave."

Hayate stands up, and just before he turns around, he asks:

“What was the need to knock me out anyway? You didn’t need to do that.”

“Easier for me. You got saved didn't you? Stop complaining and leave already.”

"Hmm, whatever. Thanks though, I guess." I muttered as I began to walk to the exit of what seemed to be Takeru's home.

And just before I go to open the door I hear Takeru laugh before saying…

“You think he can handle being a host, don’t make me laugh.”

“What? A host?” Hayate says in pure confusion as he turns back around

Takeru stares at Hayate in silence for a few seconds.

He sighs.

“So, you’re definitely gonna continue wearing that necklace even though it might get you killed?”

“I am, like I said it's all I have left of him, plus, it's clearly more special than I knew if these soulless or whatever want it. All the more reason to keep it.”

“I guess he’s going to die either way.”

“Who were you talking to? What’s a host?”

"I'll show you."

Takeru stands back up with a smirk on his face and he extends out his arm and proceeds to yell in a confident voice:

“TAKEMIKAZUCHI!”